Parenthood
by stretch the faunlet
Summary: One-shots surrounding Zim, Tak, and their newest challenge together: Parenthood. ZATR. UPDATED! CHAPTER 13 ADDED! Extra surprise for any Skoodge/Tenn fans out there at the end of Chapters 12 and 13. Take a guess. :D
1. News

_I. News_

Zim sat across from his mate, eyeing her suspiciously as she fiddled with her fingers nervously. "So… what exactly did you want to talk to me about?"

Tak didn't meet his stare, instead she was staring down at her stomach. Zim had noticed over the last week that something odd had been going on, and that Tak had been acting rather… not herself. She had been acting differently, and Tak had discovered why. "Well… Zim… I-"

"-You're what?"

Tak regained composure, inhaling deeply before starting her sentence again. Her nerves were getting the best of her. "I-"

"-You're what?"

Now she was getting annoyed. "I-"

"-You're _what_?"

Tak clenched her teeth together, glaring at Zim. "I'm-"

"You're _WHAT_?"

"_I'M_-"

"You're WHA-?"

"_I'M PREGNANT_!" Tak finally blurted out, rather loudly. From the outburst, she felt something kick inside her belly. Little pairs of feet. She calmed down for the smeet's sake.

Zim titled his head to the side. "What's 'pregnant'?" Irkens had been born from tubs for thousands of years, because irkens didn't mate for the fact that their Paks disabled them from feeling any emotions, 'love' being one of them. However, Zim had been banished from Irk and realized that he had been a defect his entire life. His Pak, because of the information of his realization for being defected, enabled his Pak to let him feel emotions. Since Tak had been banished along with Zim, and labeled also a "defect", her Pak enabled her to feel emotions as well.

And it was that reason why Zim had no idea what "pregnant" meant, and neither did Tak, up until a few days before when she felt something kicking inside her, and was told by Computer that she indeed, as he put it, "had a bun in the over," - the human slang term for "pregnant". Tak didn't know how she felt about this at all.

Tak sighed, "'Pregnant' means that I am a carrying an offspring in my stomach. A smeet. _You're _smeet."

Zim stared at her, not moving. Tak tried to read his expression to predict how badly his outburst would be, but his expression was hard to read.

He burst out laughing, startling Tak to the point where she nearly fell out of her seat. Zim laughed, long and hard, doubling over from the humor. She had not been expecting this reaction.

He calmed down after a couple of minuets. "Ahhhh, that's a good one, Tak! You really know how to pull a great joke! You even had me fooled all week!"

Rolling her eyes, Tak grabbed Zim's hand as he continued laughing, and placed it over her belly. Almost immediately, the smeet inside Tak started kicking, and just as immediately, Zim's laughter died down when he felt the kicking under his hand. "Ehh…what is that kicking from your belly?"

"It's a smeet," Tak responded, softly. "Our smeet."

Now she really did expect him to explode on her at any moment, to freak out like he normally did and start shrieking at the top of his lungs. But instead, Zim slowly looked up at Tak, and the two of them started into each other's eyes…

Before Zim promptly fainted.

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><p><strong>AN: This will basically be one-shots about Zim and Tak's journey into parenthood. Lol, poor, poor Zim… XD Please read and review (nicely)! ;P **


	2. Acceptance

_II. Acceptance. _

Yep, she knew he would freak out when he woke up from his "fainting" incident.

"P-Pregnant?" He stuttered, eyes wide with shock, his stance wobbling slightly. "Irkens- Irkens aren't supposed to reproduce! It's against Irk's laws! What the hell were you thinking, Tak? This is madness I say! MADNESS!"

"ME?" Tak gritted her teeth in rage, balling her hands into fists. "How is this my fault?"

"You're the female!" Zim blurted out, "You're the one who's carrying the smeet!"

"And you're the one who wanted to get down and dirty that night, remember?" She quipped with a smirk.

Zim immediately and noticeably turned a lighter shade of green. She got him there. "LIES! LIIIIES!"

"So you say, but you know the truth." The smirk never left get face.

"SILENCE!"

"Oh shut up, Zim..."

"Ehh..." He shrugged, somewhat defeated, letting out a sigh. "Okay."

They stood in silence for awhile.

"...Well?"

Zim blinked. "Well what?"

Tak rolled her eyes. "Well, what do you want to do?"

"What do I want to do with what?"

Tak rubbed her forehead, growing irritated. Being only a week pregnant (irken smeets grew quicker in the womb than human babies), made her extremely more hormonal than usual. _Extremely_. "I mean... What do you want to do about our smeet?"

He still didn't understand. "What do you mean-?"

"-Do you want to keep it or not?" Tak shouted, startling Zim. His slowness really annoyed her sometimes. And by sometimes, it was mostly all the time.

Zim stood in silence, pondering carefully. Was he really ready for a smeet of his own? Was he really ready for that responsibility? He didn't feel ready, and he certainly didn't feel responsible enough... Part of him said no, the other part said sure, maybe, probably.

Then a positive thought came into light. A smeet born with his amazing genetics? A smeet he could teach everything that he knew? A smeet that would look and act just like him? Now he was really considering it.

Tak noticed Zim's features soften.

Zim pondered deeper about having a smeet, a more meaningful look into fatherhood surfaced inside him. Having his own little smeet, one that would love him, adore him... not judge him for his past mistakes... One that he himself would love and adore... A little one to protect and hold... A tinier, more fragile image of himself to care for…

Maybe he really was ready.

"Well, I'm keeping it," Tak stated harshly, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. Secretly she had been ready after finding out she was pregnant, but trying to figure out on her own how Zim would take the news was defiantly a mystery of it's own. "I don't care what you say: I'm keeping it."

Zim didn't answer, but instead took a step forward towards his mate, placing a hand over her belly. Almost in response, his smeet kicked under his hand. Almost like it knew on it's own who was on the other side...

"No..." He responded quietly, moving his hand over her belly in a caring manner. "We're keeping it..."

Tak stared at him, a soft smile forming on her face. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his.

"Yous having a baby!" Gir shouted from out of nowhere, jumping up and clinging to Zim's head, sending them both to the floor.

"GIR!" Zim yanked at Gir, trying to unlatch him from his head. "How did you find out?"

"Me and Mimi were spying on yoooou!" Gir began giggling, "We're gonna haves a baby too!"

Mimi, who had walked up beside Tak, shook her head in response.

"Says who?"

"SAYS ME!" Gir replied loudly, pulling out a toy piggy from his head. "IT'S RIGHT HERE! HER NAME IS STEVE!"

"Gir, I command you to let go of my head!" Zim yelled, "OBEY YOUR MASTER!"

"Okie dokie!" Gir obeyed, running out of the room giggling madly, while an annoyed Mimi followed after him to make sure he didn't destroy anything.

Zim let out a breath, sitting back up. He glanced over at Tak, who appeared to be holding back a laugh. "Well… at least with our experience with handling Gir we'll know how to handle a smeet…" He rubbed his head. "At least smeets are more well behaved… at least I hope so…"

Their smeet only kicked inside Tak's belly, almost like it was happy.

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><p><strong>AN: D'aww. :') Lol, OOC a tab, I know, but who give****s a ****shit?**** Anyway, I wrote this on my iTouch today at the beach, because I was bored. XD Anyway, I'll try updating again soon, promise! Please read and review (NICELY)! :D**


	3. Moodswings

_III. Moodswings_

"Y-You look so stupid!" Tak was doubling over in laughter, pointing a finger at Zim, who stood in front of her.

"I'm not even..." Zim was at a loss of words. "I look the same as always! Why are you laughing?"

She'd began to randomly start laughing at him for no reason when he came back up from the base down below to check on her. It must have been her "pregnancy hormones", since Tak's belly was noticeably getting bigger in size, at only a month pregnant. An Irken female's pregnancy is much shorter than a human female's, lasting only three months.

"I don't know why!" She laughed, trying to catch her breath. In a fit, she got on the floor and laid her face against it, howling with laughter as she slammed her fist against the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>Five minuets later...<strong>

Zim's eye twitched slightly.

"...I'm so hungry..." Tak sobbed into the floor, tears streaming down her face. "And my back hurts, my feet hurt... This smeet is killing me!"

Zim let out a sigh, a headache forming of his own at her constant, loud cries.

"I can't even see my own feet..." She let out a loud scream-like sob. "I'm so faaaaat!" She glanced up at Zim with tear-filled eyes, sniffling. "Please get me some food..."

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><p><strong>Five more minuets later...<strong>

"I fucking hate you!" Tak shrieked, pounding her fists against the floor. "Look at what you did to me you bastard!" She pointed at Zim, then at her growing belly. "Because of YOU, I can't even see my own feet! I can't stop eating, my back hurts, every part of my body hurts because of you!"

Zim rolled his eyes, letting out an even louder sigh. He turned and began to walk out of the living room, heading towards the kitchen where the toilet that lead down to the base was.

"Where on Irk do you think you're going?" Tak yelled after him, still lying on the floor. "Get back here and rub my feet you piece of dookie! AND WHERE THE HELL ARE THOSE FRIES I ASKED FOR?" She laid her head back on the floor and started sobbing again as Zim disappeared down into the toilet and away safely down inside the base.

"I'm so fat," She sobbed to no one in particular but herself.

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><p><strong>AN: My favorite chapter to write. XD It literally was laughing while writing this. I love writing a hormonally-insane Tak. Fun, fun… not fun for Zim, but fun for me to write. Btw, this takes place three weeks after the first two chapters, so Tak is only a month pregnant, and is already kinda huge. Please read and review (nicely)! :D**


	4. Cravings

_IV. Cravings_

"Breakfast is served!" Gir pushed a plate stacked with waffles in front of a very hormonal and hungry Tak, who was drooling at the sight of them.

She didn't even need a fork. Within literally a second, she began using her hands and shoving the waffles in her mouth, chomping loudly. After shoving five waffles down her throat and drowning them down with syrup, Tak glanced over at Gir, who sat next to her at the kitchen table. She grinned at him. "These are delicious! What's in them?"

"There's soap and peanuts in them!" Gir squealed gleefully.

With a waffle hanging from her mouth, Tak stared at Gir in shock. You'd think she'd be disgusted, but instead she shrugged and continued eating.

The front door opened, and in walked Zim, struggling with heavy brown bags. He entered the kitchen with caution, despite having trouble with the weight of the bags. He didn't want to disturb Tak, whom he noticed eating, and he did not want to deal with her hormones, so he went to place the bags down on the floor and sneak back out of the house and go over to Dib's house, but just as he began to tip-toe out of the kitchen unseen, a voice came from behind, almost literally a growl: "ZIM..."

Startled, he stumbled back, turning his head towards Tak, who was glaring at him, another waffle hanging from her mouth, her face and clothing covered in waffle syrup. "Uh, y-yes my love pig...?" He hoped sweet talk might be able to spare him another day of insane mixed emotions from his pregnant mate.

"Where's the other food?"

"Uhhh..." Zim froze momentarily, before going into the bag and pulling out the items. "They were all out of ketchup so I had to get mustard, but I did get the chocolate you wanted and..." He glanced up at her, and his sentence came to a slow halt, "...Uhh... Tak...?"

Tak had started crying, wiping her eyes with a waffle with one hand, while her other hand shoved more waffles down her throat. "I'm such a fatty... admit it Zim! I'm all fat and bloated!" She continued to wail while chewing.

Zim sighed, holding onto the bottle of mustard as he went up to Tak, holding her close as se cried into his chest. "No, you're not fat, Tak... Well... Maybe a little-"

Wrong move. Angered, Tak threw a waffle at Zim's face, snatched the bottle of mustard from his hand and squirted the sauce all over the remaining waffles on her plate, and continued eating.

Taking the waffle off his face, Zim watched, disgusted, as Tak ate the mustard covered waffles without a care in the world.

Momentarily, she stopped. "ZIM! Get me the salt and the chocolate!"

Without a word, Zim obeyed, running over to the bags on the floor, grabbing the items Tak asked for, then ran back and handed them to her.

Grinning, Tak emptied out the entire container of salt onto the waffles, then got the chocolates from inside the box of chocolates and emptied those out onto the waffles. Now the waffles were entirely covered in mustard, salt and chocolate. Satisfied, Tak began eating, making Zim gag in the process as he watched her eat, and watched what she was eating. "Yummm..." Tak moaned happily, rubbing her belly. "Our smeet is defiantly happy!" She shoved another waffle in her mouth, while the smeet inside her belly kicked, content by the choice of food it's mother picked. Though what Tak didn't notice, was that there was more than just two feet kicking inside her...

Zim placed a hand over his mouth, gagging. His face turned pale in the process. "I think I'm gonna be sick..." With that said, he ran out of the house to go barf in some bushes nearby.

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><p><strong>AN: Yeah, I gave a little hint about the smeet (or smeets)… ;) But you'll just have to wait and see when they're born. Anway, like I said before, I love writing a hormonally insane Tak. XD It is literally the funniest thing ever, imagining her having such extreme moodswings. Lol, don't worry Zim: Only two more months. Please R&R! **


	5. Advice

_V. Advice_

"You got Tak pregnant?"

"It's really hard to explain, Dib-stink-"

"You guys must have gotten BUSY!"

"Dib-stink..."

"Wouldn't it be funny if she was pregnant with eight kids?"

"Dib-"

"Maybe even ten..."

"DIB-"

"I wonder if you can handle all those kids, I mean, you can barely handle Gir-"

"DIB-STINK!"

"What?" Dib blinked, realizing Zim had been glaring at him the whole time for straying off topic. "Oh, sorry..." He adjusted his seating on the couch. The now 16-year-old boy couldn't really comprehend a once enemy, now friend being a father. That single thought shocked him greatly. Zim, the alien who could barely handle a robot, was going to be a dad? The thought of Zim even changing a diaper made him chuckle to himself. But still, he didn't know how Zim felt exactly, so he decided to ask him the more reasonable question: "Do you feel ready?"

"Ready for what?"

Dib rolled his eyes. Why did Zim forget so easily during a conversation? "Are you ready for your own kid?"

Zim sighed, slumping over on the couch. "Not really... I never thought about having a smeet. Ever. Even if I ever did feel ready, I thought I'd be at least twenty-Irken-years old... Around about two-hundred in Earth years..." Frustrated, he buried his face into the arm rest. "And you're right, I can't even handle Gir! I can't imagine how my smeet will-" He paused, bolting up straight and staring at Dib. "Since when did you become my personal therapist?"

"Since you decided to come over here to tell me you knocked up Tak."

Silence.

"YOU'RE LYING!"

Dib felt his eyes roll again, almost instinctively at Zim's outburst. "Anyway... How's Tak handling all this...?"

"By eating, crying, screaming and laughing twenty-four hours a day, non-stop."

"That sounds like a nightmare."

Zim rolled his eyes at Dib. "Yeah thanks for reminding me, Dib-Stink."

"Don't mention it." The sarcasm was heavy in his voice.

"Two more months and the nightmare will be over," Zim muttered to himself, leaning back slightly.

Dib perked up. "Two months? But you said Tak was only a month pregnant."

"An Irken female's pregnancy lasts only three months, and in those three months, they go literally insane with hormones. You think pregnant human females were bad, try dealing with a pregnant Irken female. They'll threaten to rip you apart, start crying, and then they'll just shut up and eat the most horrid food combinations I've ever seen. And that's only in the first month."

"Earth women do that to..." Dib stated slowly.

"That's what your mother said."

"...My mom is dead, Zim."

"...Oh yeah..."

More silence.

"Are you happy?"

"About the smeet?"

Dib gave him a single nod.

Zim hesitated a bit before answering. "A little..."

"A little?" Dib raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, a little! I'm nervous about this, can you blame me? I don't know if something will go wrong, or if I'll screw up or if-"

"I don't blame you," Dib responded quickly, knowing Zim would freak out and go into an insane fit if panic if he continued listing off everything about parenting that he worried he would screw up. "I'd be nervous too. All guys are at first."

"I don't know if I'll be a good parental unit," Zim muttered quietly, calming down as he stared at the floor in a daze of thought.

"Zim..."

"What if my own smeet hates me...?"

"Zim..."

For once, Zim actually had listened, turning to Dib with a blank expression on his face. "What Dib-Human?"

Dib smiled faintly at him. "I know you've been extremely irresponsible, and clueless, and immature in the past-"

"-Dib-Stink..."

"-And I know nothings really changed-"

"-Don't push your luck, Dib..."

"...Point is," Dib continued, ignoring Zim's threat. "You'll be fine. I'm no expert on parenting, but I do have one piece of advice for you. From... Personal experience..."

Zim perked up a little. "Which is...?"

"Don't do what my father did when I was growing up," Dib told him, his voice rather soft, some what hurt from being reminded of when his father would somewhat abandon Dib and his younger sister, Gaz. It affected them, growing up in an environment where they had to take care of themselves when they were only kids, knowing their father would stay at work for days, sometimes weeks. "Never abandon your kid for anything, like a job or something. Spend time with him or her, you know? Spend time with them as much as you can, and I guarantee your kid will grow up happy and healthy."

Zim was silent for a moment, thinking hard about Dib's advice. He knew Dib's father's abandonment affected Dib immensely, and he didn't want his smeet to suffer the same loneliness Dib and Gaz went through, coming home day after day knowing their father was at work or busy all the time, knowing that their father cared more about his career in science than his own children. He wanted to be there for his son or daughter, always. He wanted his smeet to know that they were the most important thing in his life. He swore to himself silently then, that he would not make the same mistake Dib's father made. He nay have been selfish in the past... And still selfish somewhat present time, but he knew fatherhood was a job where he could not act selfish, and he knew that and was prepared, just like how he had been prepared for marriage.

He gave Dib a single nod, smiling in gratitude for the advice. "Zim accepts your advice, Dib-Human. As future parental units, our smeet will be Tak and I's main priority. Always."

Who knew talking to your best friend, once enemy, could chance your entire perspective on parenthood?

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><p><strong>AN: I wanted to add some nice ZADF conversations in this. :D and next chapter, they'll be some sweet ZATR next chapter. :) Like, it will have major sweet moments next chapter. I'll give a hint: It involves Tak getting a foot rub from Zim. I mean, after all... Tak is really big now because of the smeet, and she can't see her feet. XD So it's nice of Zim to do something sweet for his love-pig. :'D Please R&R!**


	6. Gesture

_VI. Gesture_

He cringed when the door creaked as he opened it, trying to enter his own home as quietly as he could, but so far, that wasn't happening. Zim knew awakening Tak if she were asleep would result in antenna-cringing yelling and a possible slap to the face.

He was stressing over how he and Tak were going to take care of their smeet, what supplies they needed, how and where should their smeet be delivered... If there even was a place to deliver their smeet... They were both banished from Irk, and not many other aliens on other planets were not to kind to Irkens... Either that, or the other half of the planets were now Irken property. There wasn't any real possible way to deliver their smeet at their base... Zim was sure he'd probably faint at the sight of a smeet being actually birthed. There was not enough time to fool around; Zim wanted to just go inside without any arguments and figure everything out; to start planning. All this stressing out was giving him a headache, and dealing with Tak's insanely-high pregnancy hormones were not what he wanted to deal with at the moment.

Quietly shutting the door behind him, Zim tip-toed into the living room, getting a wider, more focused view of what was going on in the living room. The TV was on, and Tak seemed to be lying down on the couch, facing the opposite direction of the front door where Zim entered, so he couldn't tell if she was awake or not.

"I fucking knew it!" She suddenly screamed, causing Zim to stumble back and fall on his butt. "You cheated!"

"Nooooo!" Zim bowed down, crawling forward towards Tak. "I didn't cheat on you Tak! I'd never cheat on you! I was at The Dib's home-unit! Honest! Please my love-pig, forgive me! FORGIVE ME!"

"Not you!" Tak whispered angrily, not even looking back at him. "The TV! Jason cheated on Sarah!" She kept her eyes locked on the television.

"Ehh?" Zim crawled forward more to get a better look at what Tak was watching. Sure enough, she was watching one of those stupid yet addicting soup-operas called _"All My Life",_ and the two main characters, Jason and Sarah, who were engaged, well... According to Tak, Jason cheated on his fiancé, and apparently Tak seemed to be somewhat upset about that. Had she watched the entire five seasons on TV that day? "That's... That's what your mad about?"

"Not necessarily mad," Tak explained, eyes still glued to the TV. "Kinda relieved. I KNEW he was cheating on her, the filthy stink-pig! I knew he had been sleeping with Jennifer! I knew it, I fucking knew it!"

"Uhhh... Okay." Zim let out a breath. "I'm just glad you're not angry at me..."

"Why would I be mad?" Now Tak glanced over at him, eyes watering a little by what he said. "I don't get mad!"

Oh great... He hurt her feelings. He really hoped he could handle two more months of her hormones, but that was highly unlikely. "No, no, no, I know you don't!" He lied, getting up off the floor and sitting himself down beside his mate as she looked away. "It's just the hormones, Tak." He took her hand and held it in his. "That's all..." _She'd kill me if I told her otherwise._

Tak glanced back at Zim, smiling softly. "Really?"

"Really really." He squeezed her hand, smiling back. "I'm sure our smeet would agree." Zim placed his other hand on Tak's belly, and sure enough, the smeet kicked in response.

Tak moved her other hand onto her belly as well, rubbing it gently. "So you were at Dib's?" She asked, changing the subject for his sake.

Zim nodded, keeping his hand on her belly. "I told him."

"What did he say?"

"He was shocked," he explained. "But he's happy for us."

"That's good," Tak responded, letting out a pained groan as she moved her position on the couch.

Zim noticed this, growing concerned. "What's wrong?"

"My shoulders hurt," she replied, leaning back slightly. "Nothing to worry about..."

Zim thought for a moment, not really responding. Instead, he moved closer, getting behind Tak.

Confused, Tak leaned forward, watching as Zim crawled behind her on the couch. "What are you doing?"

"What any good Irken would do for their mate," Zim told her, bringing his hands up to her shoulders. "Just close your eyes and relax."

Tak rolled her eyes a little, but she did what he asked. Moments later, she let out a soft moan when Zim began to rub her shoulders with his hands, a soft touch yet with just a heavy amount to get deep into her aching muscles. She smiled, slightly leaning back against Zim.

Zim grinned, leaning forward slightly to whisper in her ear. "You are enjoying this, yes?"

He kissed her temple, never stopping the motion of his hands on her shoulders.

"Defiantly," she responded, a soft mewl escaping her lips. "You know Zim, you really know how to use your hands..."

"That's not the only Zim knows how to do," he replied, kissing her again.

Tak opened one of her eyes. "What else do you know how to do?"

Zim grinned to himself. "Zim knows how to take care of his mate."

Tak felt her cheeks turn warm. She closed her eyes again, leaning back as Zim wrapped his arms around her. She felt so much better, inside and out. "I'm so lucky to have you," she said softly, sighing happily. She felt another soft kick inside her belly. "And our smeet is lucky to have you as their dad."

She had never felt so sure than at that moment.

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><p><strong>AN: I changed it from foot-rub, to just an all-out massage. :) I had alot of fun writing this. I just started school last week (I'm a junior in highschool now), and so I won't be updating as much. :( But don't worry, I'll be writing on my iTouch during lunch at school as much as I can! Please read and review!**


	7. Plans

_VII. Plans_

The doorbell rang.

Zim yawned, opening his eyes to the slightly dimmed living room of his home. Tak was still cuddled against his chest, asleep, and when Zim moved even the slightest, she stirred, but wouldn't fully awake. She was peacefully rested against her mate, and Zim admired her briefly, still taking in,- as his eyes landed upon her round belly-the fact that their family was going to expand by one. His lips brushed against her cheek in a soft kiss as he carefully got up, trying not to wake her. Gently, he placed her down on the couch fully, where he had been previously laying a minuet before.

Thinking Dib was at the door, he got up quickly and headed towards the door to greet his human friend and not keep him waiting.

His hand landed on the doorknob a second later, as he had finally made it to his short and quick destination. Groggily, he rubbed at his eyes, letting out another yawn as he turned the doorknob and opened the door. "Hey, Dib," he replied casually, not even getting a look at however was at the door, but had already assumed it was Dib. "You can come in if you want, but Tak's sleeping so we have to be-" Zim opened his eyes and froze, seeing that the person, or better yet people at the door was not Dib.

Instead, who stood before Zim, were two figures cloaked under heavy black attire, and a hood that covered their faces.

He didn't even know who was under the black robes and frankly, he couldn't care less, nor did he even have time to figure out who they were. Zim immediately began screeching at the top of his lungs and ran back inside the supposed safety of his home, not even bothering to shut the door. The screaming startled Tak, who jumped up quickly, and watched as Zim ran out of the living room and into the kitchen, screaming bloody murder. The two figures at the door simply watched the scene, then turned to look at each other, shrugging in confusion.

Thinking they were welcome, they stepped inside the house and shut the door, but Tak quickly stood in front of them, and, even being a month pregnant, was prepared to fight the two cloaked intruders. Her hands were clenched into fists in front of her and aimed at the two figures. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" She paused and glanced behind her shoulder at the kitchen, where Zim could still be heard screaming. "And why-?" she sniffed the air briefly. "-Does it smell like corn?"

The much fatter figure quickly held up his hands. "Tak, relax! It's me-" he pulled off his hood to reveal his identity, "-Skoodge! And yes, it smells like corn because our ship landed in a a cornfield..."

Tak lowered her fists, staring at Skoodge and the figure beside him. "Skoodge? What do you mean by 'our' ship?" Her eyes landed on the still cloaked figure beside the chubby male Irken, and she had a feeling who was beside him. "Tenn...?"

"Hey, Tak!" The second figure greeted cheerfully, removing her hood to reveal her identity. It was in fact, Tenn, Skoodge's mate. "How's life treating ya?"

Tak smiled, surprised yet delighted at the unexpected visit by her and Zim's two once-Invader friends. She came up to Tenn and Skoodge and gave them each a warm hug. "This is such a surprise!" Tak exclaimed happily, standing before the pair with a grin. "How are you guys?"

"We're good," Tenn responded, returning the grin. "We..." she paused briefly, glancing over at Skoodge in a moment of nervousness that Tak easily noticed. "...We have some news to tell you, though..."

"So do I," Tak replied, putting her hand over her belly. "But you won't believe mine. It's much more shocking than what you guys have to say, trust me. There's nothing to worry about."

"Well..." Tenn hesitated, glancing at her feet and fidgeting her fingers before glancing back up at Tak, who nodded at her to continue. She hesitated, then let out a breath. "Skoodge and I... We... Became... One," she explained quietly.

"Became one?" Tak didn't understand what her friend meant. "What do you mean?"

"You know..." Tenn stated, scratching the back of her head. "Became one... Eternal... Mates..."

"Eternal mat-?" She nearly forgot for a brief moment what Tenn meant, but Tak's eyes widened, quickly understanding. "You two got married?"

Tenn nodded, without speaking, her hand reaching over and holding onto Skoodge's hand, who squeezed her hand gently. Tak noticed Skoodge's cheeks flare up into a light blush in an adoration for Tenn. Tak could not have been happier for the both of them; they were a great match for each other, and it reminded her of her relationship with Zim.

"That's great news!" Tak stated, beaming for the two. "I'm very happy for you. You two are perfect for each other. But... Why didn't you invite Zim and I to the ceremony?" She felt a twinge of her pregnant hormones hit a part of her much hidden and almost non-existing sensitivity.

Skoodge opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted when Zim leaped from the kitchen, landing beside Tak, brandishing a broom and a bicycle helmet on his hand. His eyes were shut tightly, not wanting to see the two cloaked figures he had opened the door to. "Alright intruders," he called out loudly, swinging the broom around wildly about the through the air, thinking he'd strike Skoodge and Tenn (who he obviously thought were simply just two 'intruders'). "Prepare to meet your wretched fates at the Zim hands of ZIIIIM! For behold my mighty broom of power and unbelievable chaos!"

He continued to swing the broom wildly, as Tak only put her hand over her face in embarrassment and as Skoodge and Tenn only watched with confusion and a slight whip of amusement. It seemed to the pair that Zim was getting crazier with every passing year.

Zim only continued to babble on, "-As I prepare to destroy your disgusting lives and feed your brains and liver to my mighty-" he opened his eyes, seeing Skoodge and Tenn stand before him, whom waved nervously at him. "...and... Eh..." He lowered the broom and glanced over at Tak, who shook her head at him. He blinked, confused. "Uhh... What just happened?" 

* * *

><p>An hour later, after calming down and greeting each other, friends from the past reuniting with each other after a few years of being apart, the four sat on the couch, Skoodge and Tenn, having finished their seven-year long story of their journey together after leaving Zim's base to live together on their own, Tak was now about to tell them the news of what was lying inside her belly:<p>

"I'm pregnant."

Like Zim's previous reaction when Tak had first told him, Skoodge and Tenn stared at Tak in a state of curiosity and confusion. Being Irken, the word 'pregnancy' was not a word they knew in the slightest. "What do you mean 'pregnant'?" Skoodge asked, rising a non-existing eyebrow. "What does that word mean? I know I've never heard it..."

"Oh, you will in a sec," Zim mumbled to himself.

Tak sighed, annoyed at having to explain her pregnancy again. "See this?" She pointed at her rounded stomach.

Skoodge and Tenn nodded slowly, almost warily, not sure where Tak was headed.

"Well," Tak continued carefully, "There's a smeet in there. I'm having a smeet... There is a smeet growing inside me."

Tenn's eyes widened in shock while Skoodge's jaw dropped open. "WHAT?" They screamed together in unison, causing Tak to cringe from the loudness of their combined voices. "How is that possible?"

"That's exactly what I said," Zim stated jokingly, sipping on some Irken poop cola. Tak turned to glare at him briefly, and he chuckled nervously, taking the cue to keep his mouth shut.

Tenn took a deep breath, composing herself quickly in a calm manner, while Skoodge tried to follow her lead, but still couldn't get the concept down that easy. He simply sat and listened. "We're very happy for you," she explained quickly, "but we just don't get how that's possible..."

"WELL," Zim started, rather loudly, startling Tak, "If you want to know, Tak and I had sex!"

Tak buried her face in her hands, her face turning a deep green color in embarrassment.

"You can have a smeet by doing that?" Skoodge asked, astonished. Sure, he had heard that rumor, simply as a rumor and only so much as a rumor. Traded gossip on the planet where he and Tenn had lived peacefully for some time. Who knew a rumor that questioned could be true?

"Very much so," Zim answered, nodding. "I wish someone would have told me that sooner when it happened... Though, I did enjoy it greatly," he added, smirking.

"Thank you sir-tell-all," Tak groaned loudly, annoyed at the fact that Zim was giving out personal information about their sex life. It was private, and even if Skoodge and Tenn were close friends, she didn't think it was appropriate for them to know about it. "Yes, as a matter of fact, a smeet can in fact be produced from mating."

Everyone fell into awkward silence.

"Um..." Skoodge wanted to break the dreaded silence after a few minuets. Silence never did fit well with him. "Congrats...?"

Tak felt her eyes bore into Skoodge's eyes, staring at his face with a sense of shock at his answer. With her newly adapted hormones, she expected every worst possible answer, an angry or disappointed response that would hurt her literally to the point of tears. "You're not..." she began quietly, almost with awe, "...Disappointed?"

"Why would we be?" Tenn responded, smiling widely. "After all, we're all no longer part of the Empire-"

Zim flinched slightly at that, feeling a hard sock in his squeedly-spooch at the memory of his banishment.

"-so we have nothing to fear," Tenn continued.

"Lucky for us," Tak agreed, nodding. "I feel better about that... At least Zim and I can start our family without any worry about execution or whatnot."

"Have you planned where you're going to have the little one?" Skoodge asked.

"Not really," Tak answered, rather nervously. "We obviously can't go to a human hospital, that's been out of the question from the beginning, and we can't deliver the smeet here..."

"Why not?"

"Because Zim would drop dead at the sight of a smeet being delivered," Tak explained.

"That's for sure," Zim mumbled, earning another glare from his mate.

Skoodge and Tenn didn't respond, but quietly thought amongst themselves, coming up with a similar solution for Zim and Tak's dilemma. They glanced at each other, smiled knowingly, and nodded. Tenn turned back towards Tak. "We think we have a solution to your problem," she stated.

Interested, Tak leaned in closer. "What would that be?"

"Well," Tenn began, "When Skoodge and I went to find somewhere to live, we found a planet that allowed Irkens who left the Empire, to live peacefully, without a monarchy or dictator. Without certain rules to follow, where marriage and having smeets naturally are allowed..." Even though the having smeets naturally thing was just a rumor Skoodge and I heard, Tenn thought to herself, waiting for a response from her mother-to-be friend.

This caught Tak's interest, and sparked a small light of hope inside herself. After a moment, her curiosity from the past of her smeethood came forward in an anticipating-sounding tone as she asked, "What's the name?"

"Planet Zeynxia," Skoodge blurted out, grinning to himself in pride for having possibly solving his two friends' problems.

Tak and Zim glanced at each other, hopeful. Could this be the answer they were looking for? Tak turned back to Skoodge. "Do you have the coordinates?"

"Well..." he began, chuckling nervously.

"Well what?" Tak demanded.

"Well, I told you our ship crashed in a cornfield, remember?" He reminded her. "We had to run off before the human who lived there caught us...So... The coordinates were left behind and... We're kinda shipless. But we have monies on Planet Zeynxia, lots, so we can buy a new one when we return."

"Okay, and your point is...?"

"Tenn and I can come with you if you both decide to have your smeet there," he bargained, "That way, we can get home, and you two can have somewhere safe to... Uhh... birth your smeet. We can come with you and give you the directions along the way. We know the place by heart. That way we all get something out of this."

Tak turned away briefly, deep in thought. It wasn't like Skoodge and Tenn were asking for alot, and they were all friends after all... This could be beneficial for them all. She glanced over at Zim, and stared at him, mouthing the words 'do you want to?' Zim understood, much to Tak's shock, what she meant, and nodded. He just wanted his smeet to be born in a safe and stable environment without the risk of harm, and they were out of options.

Zim got up off the couch, and headed over towards where Skoodge and Tenn sat. He held his hand out towards his old friend from his past days in the Academy. "You have yourself a deal, my old friend," Zim replied, smiling.

Skoodge grinned wildly, enthusiastic that his friend agreed with his offer. "Aww, anything for my friend!" He cried happily, shaking Zim's hand.

Tak watched the scene, feeling a warmth and comfort inside her, a panic that now cooled down, like a fire being put out. The smeet kicked inside her, almost like it was sensing Tak's peace. Tak felt like her unborn little one was comforted by her inner harmony, and she put a hand over her belly, feeling her smeet kick.

_At least you'll be born in a safe place,_ _little kicker,_ she thought, smiling as she rubbed her belly. _I can't wait until you get here..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the long update! I couldn't figure out what to do next. But I did, and here you go! And for all Skoodge/Tenn fans, here is some nice SaTnR for you. **

**Anyway, I have a little voting idea game thing for you all; I have two ideas for want to do for the next chapter: One, Zim and Tak think of names, or two, Gir throws a baby shower for Tak... Two options, and I'm letting you decide. Leave your vote along with your review, and the idea that gets the most votes will be the idea for the next chapter. If you want to give little ideas on what to add for the idea you vote for, feel free to let me know!**

**Only a few more chapters before the smeet arrives! :) Stay tuned. ;)**


	8. Party

_VIII. Party_

As it turned out, they had to leave in a few days.

Planet Zeynxia and Earth had a long distance traveling time that took two months. And Tak was still only a month pregnant, meaning they had to leave soon if they wanted their smeet to be born safely, and Tak was not willing to give birth in her Voot cruiser.

She and Zim had let Dib and Gaz know for the simple reason that the humans siblings were asked to watch the two robots, one who understood that her Masters were leaving, and another, more insane robot who, with the mind of a young child, would never fully understand. Gir understood that a baby was going to join the family, but of course he didn't understand how it was possible, and why it had to pertain to his two Masters leaving for two months, though Zim had told him that they were going to another planet to retrieve the newest addition to the family, like telling a child the old tale of how a stork was going to deliver their baby sibling in a bag attached to a stick; it held the same meaning that a child and a robot with the heart and mind of a child could easily grasp; the simple excitement of a new arrival.

Dib was apprehensive at first, while Gaz simply refused, but, for once, being Tak's good friend, and knowing her first true friend she actually liked being around was pregnant and couldn't afford stress, she agreed after much thought, but secretly knew only to herself that Dib would be doing much of the taking care of the two robots. Like babysitting only with no pay and with watching Gir, it was the equivalent of babysitting a mentally insane person. Dib let his father know he and Gaz were asked to babysit two siblings for two months, and without any hesitation, his father, the very busy Professor Membrane agreed, having much more important deeds to take care of, and also for the fact that his sixteen-year-old son and fifteen-year-old daughter were old enough in his eyes to spend some months away from home.

Now that their two human friends agreed to watch their Sir-Units, Zim and Tak were able to focus on packing before they left for Planet Zeynxia on Friday morning. It was only Tuesday, and they had started packing when Gir, who had been told that weekend that his two Irken masters were leaving for two months on Friday, pulled them aside from their current tasks, told them to put their disguises on as well as blindfolds, and had them stand outside for an hour.

Still blindfolded, Tak turned to Zim, annoyed. "Tell me again why we're standing out here with blindfolds?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Zim retorted impatiently.

"Oh that's right, you don't know anything," she quipped at him, crossing her arms over her chest. She paused. "I'm hungry," she complained, letting out a groan.

"That's a surprise," Zim grumbled, earning a punch in the arm from Tak who overheard him.

The front door opened, and out came Gir, a large smile plastered on his metal face. With the exuberance of a small child, he skipped down the front steps and out into the sidewalk, where a blindfolded Zim and Tak stood, and unknowing to him they stood there with impatient and exhausted frowns. "Everything's ready!" he chirped happily at them.

"What's ready?" Zim questioned, suspicious and worried at whatever possible chaos Gir might have just committed inside their home. He had a strange feeling something was happening, but knew it had to be ether bad or just plain random and wouldn't make any sense to him.

"You'll see!" the robot giggled, grabbing Zim and Tak by the hand and dragging them back up the concrete path and steps that led to the front door of their home.

Tak heard the door open with a soft and muffled creaking sound, then heard her mate whisper beside her, "I'm scared." She could understand why. Whenever Gir kept a secret from them, it had to mean he had caused unintentional mayhem and destruction in their home.

"You can take your blindfolds off now," Gir told them, his smile never leaving.

Holding their breaths, and expecting the worst, both Irkens removed their blindfolds with much hesitation and worry. At first sight, they calmed their racing hearts, but confusion quickly took hold for Zim, while Tak only stared at the living room with a sense of knowledge. "It's a..." she began, amazed at the scene before her, "...baby shower..." After days and weeks of not going to Skool with Zim and being bored when Gir and Mimi would leave for a 'date' of sorts, she spent her time lying on the couch, eating snacks and watching TV with interest. On one of the shows she had seen, a pregnant human's friends had thrown her what was called a baby shower', an early celebration of a coming arrival, AKA, an infant on the way, like an early birthday.

That was exactly, Tak realized, what Gir had been secretly planning that whole time, and had accomplished it perfectly, much to her shock.

There, on the couch, sat Skoodge, Tenn, Dib, smiling nervously at the shocked couple, while Gaz sat there beside Dib, playing her Gameslave. In the entry-way of the kitchen, were two chairs decorated and made to appear like a throne for a Queen and King, which Tak guessed was made for her and Zim to sit. In the far corner, where Mimi, in her disguise lay, was a table, where many presents of different sizes lay, wrapped in blue and pink paper with ducks and many other animals that symbolized infants decorated the cover of each wrapping paper. However, though the gender of the smeet was still unknown, the walls were decorated with a coating of baby pink, meaning Gir thought the smeet must have been a girl... And it could be a possibility.

"This," Tak breathed out, "is amazing!" She looked down at the little robot. "You did all this?"

"Shockingly, yes," Dib answered for Gir, "He told us all about it on Sunday. And surprisingly he managed to do all this in an hour while you guys were outside."

"With a little help!" Skoodge added proudly, pointing to himself and nodding over at Tenn at signal that they had helped.

"Why is everything pink, though?" Zim asked, puzzled at the sight of the now baby pink walls of the living room. "We don't know if the smeet is a girl or not..."

"Pink is the color of a piggy!" Gir squealed. He pulled out a toy piggy from his head, the one from long before. "See? Stacy's pink!"

"I see..." Zim slowly looked around the living room, blindfold in hand. He glanced down at his robot and smiled. "Good work, Gir." It wasn't often that Zim complemented or praised Gir or showed him how much he did care for him, and he had a feeling that, since he was going to be a father in two months, that these were signs of his forming parental skills, coming as signs of affection toward the crazy little robot he had grown to love as a little brother in ways.

Beaming, Gir pounced on Zim's head, hugging him tightly while giggling.

"GIR!" Zim screeched, desperately trying to yank the robot from his head so he could breathe, "I CAN'T BREATHE!"

* * *

><p>Ten minuets later...<p>

Tak, sitting upon one of the home-made thrones Gir had created for her and Zim, held the first present that she was preparing to open. She shook it carefully, not wanting to damage whatever contents that lie inside. This present was from Gaz, which was evident with the fact the gift was wrapped in a black wrapping paper with skulls on it. "I think I know what's in here," Tak stated aloud, smirking at Gaz.

"Oh really?" The human girl challenged, returned the smirk.

"Yes really. I know you better than your own brother."

"That couldn't be more true," Gaz chuckled.

Dib however, was offended. "Hey! I know Gaz better!"

"Really?" Zim quipped at him from beside Tak. "What do you think it is then, Dib-human?"

Dib paused, thinking for a moment. "It's a... Uhh... Radio?"

"I don't even know how we're related," Gaz said, shaking her head in disbelief. "It's not a radio, moron!" She yelled at him, annoyed. "What the hell makes you think it's a radio?"

"People like radios..." he tried, a nervous chuckle of his own escaping his throat.

Gaz and Tak glanced at each other, shaking their heads, while Zim laughed hysterically to himself.

"You know, for a human with a big head, you're not very smart," Skoodge couldn't help but remark. It was unlike him to make a joke about someone. Beside him, Tenn held back a giggle at his remark.

"Shut up," Dib replied, annoyed and slightly offended. "My head is NOT big."

Tak grabbed hold of one of the taped-down parts of the black wrapping paper and tore with anticipation of her hoping she was right, it being like a little game of competition for herself. The tearing and ripping sounds echoed throughout the living room, while Skoodge, Tenn, Gir and Mimi watched also with anticipation, while Zim and Dib watched with caution at whatever might lie inside. With Gaz, you could never really know what to expect, and Tak seemed sure of herself that she did, as the last part of the paper was ripped from the box, the paper falling gracefully at her feet and beside her. Now she was left with a simple brown box.

"I know what it is," she sang gleefully, playfully, as she pulled back the top of the box, which had not been taped down but was instead left to be opened with ease. She peered inside the box and grinned.

"Show off," Dib mumbled, watching Tak peering into the box.

Zim leaned forward, getting a good look at what was inside. He smiled, shaking his head. "I should have known..."

"What?" Tenn asked, staring at the box in Tak's lap. "What is it?"

"It's a..." Zim began, but Tak finished his line as she reached into the box and pulled out the gift.

"...Gameslave..." She said, holding the game device up. "I knew it!" She cheerfully stated, smiling to herself proudly.

"How did you not figure it out?" Zim asked Dib, gawking at him. "She's your sister!"

"I was never good at guessing games, okay?" Dib huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tak ignored the two guys and instead smiled gratefully at Gaz. "Thanks."

"No problem," Gaz replied smoothly, returning the smile. Tak was like the sister she never had, especially with being stuck with Dib as her only sibling all her life. "It was my other Gameslave before the new one came out. I was gonna throw it away, but though it'd make a good gift for the kid."

"Any games to recommend?" Tak asked.

"Tons."

After that, the rest of the small party went on smoothly, with no chaotic disruption from Gir. Tak opened the rest of the presents, and was happy with what she received and what the smeet would have when he or she was born. Dib's gift was a baby monitor and some baby clothes, some for a boy and some for a girl (since no one knew the gender, he wanted to make sure), and a few baby toys and a blue and pink blanket from Skoodge and Tenn, small little gifts which led to their much larger gift, which was a stroller. They had to use most of Dib's money, much to his dismay, since they didn't own any human money. And Gir and Mimi's gift (mainly Gir's), was a taco kit so that,-as Gir told Zim when asked-, when the smeet was born, he and the smeet could make tacos everyday. Though a rather random and pointless baby gift, it had the sweetest meaning as to why it was bought.

Yes, everything was going smoothly...

Until the doorbell rang.

Gir stood up, grinning. "The entertainment is here!" He cried out joyfully, running over to the front door.

Nervously, Zim and Tak glanced at each other, acknowledging their shared suspicions as Gir stood by the door, preparing to open it. "Entertainment?"

Skoodge put his hands over his face, terrified at the possibility at what might be beyond the outside of the door, while Tenn clung to him. Dib tried to cling to Gaz for comfort, but instead she shove him off the couch.

They all held their breaths and waited anxiously.

Gir threw open the door, and there stood an adult human female, dressed in rather provocative attire, in nothing but her black bra and panties, wearing fishnets and high heels, immediately suggesting to Dib ad Gaz that she was a stripper. Instead being frightened, Dib felt blood rush to his cheeks, as well as a small amount of blood coming out of his nose.

Zim simply glanced over at Tak, jaw wide-open. "Why don't you dress like that more often?"

This earned him an immediate slap to the face from Tak.

Skoodge and Tenn both simply gaped at the female in the doorway, not a word being said between them.

"Did somebody order some entertainment?" The woman asked, licking her lips suggestively at Zim, winking at him once when their eyes met briefly.

Zim didn't find appeal in the woman smirking suggestively at him, but instead let his mind wander on what Tak would look like in nothing but her bra and panties, wearing fishnets and high heels. He felt himself nearly drooling at the thought, his cheeks turning a darker shade of green, a blush of lust-filled thoughts.

Tak noticed the woman grinning at her mate, and she immediately reacted violently. She stood up, rolling up the sleeves of her uniform, glaring daggers at the woman. "Oh HELLLL NO. You are NOT coming into this house you skanky-"

Gaz quickly stood up, coming over to Tak. "Tak," she reminded her, "think of the kid." Gaz was never the voice of reason, ever, but in this case, she knew Tak's boiling rage could possibly hurt the smeet, and she cared more for Tak than her own brother at times, and by at times, it was most of the time.

Tak relaxed, taking to heart Gaz's warning. She nodded once. "You're right. You're right..."

"I'm always right," the gothic teen replied, smirking. "I'll handle this hoe." She motioned towards the woman at the door. Gaz turned to the woman, her eyes darkening slightly as she did. "Okay bitch, let's take this outside." She headed over towards the woman quickly, confusing her immensely.

"Wait, what?" The woman asked, frightened and confused, but spoke somewhat to late, for Gaz shoved her outside quickly and slammed the door behind her.

Seconds later, muffled screams erupted from outside, and all of them, Zim, Tak, Gir, Mimi, Skoodge, Tenn and Dib stayed silent as they listened. Tak was still boiling with rage over the stripper trying to make a move on Zim, Zim was still picturing Tak dressed provocatively in his mind, Gir was thinking about that cat on YouTube playing the piano, Mimi was wondering why she didn't know Gir would bring an unknown human to the small party, and Skoodge and Tenn couldn't help but wonder why the stripper smelled like Gir's bacon...

And Dib, only Dib, was the one to break the silence with an amused chuckle:

"Only Gir would bring a stripper to a baby shower."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry if it's not as funny as you hoped. Humor is not really my strong point in writing... Or life for that matter.**

**But oh my God, I can't believe this story has 100 REVIEWS! Holy crap, only eight chapters and yet 100 reviews? I can't believe it. Thank you so much to all of you who read, reviewed and favorited this story! I really appreciate it!**

**In fact, I might write a little smeet one-shot for you guys again. ;) **

**Thanks again everyone! :')**


	9. Names

**IX. Names**

"What about...?"

"...No, I like..."

"Ugh, but that one's so..."

Tak glared at her mate. "...That one's so what?" she demanded.

"...That name is so girly," Zim whined, cringing at the name.

"Well it might be a girl," Tak reminded him coldly, "Did you forget that we don't know the gender?"

"I want to name our smeet after me," he complained.

"For the last time we will not name our smeet after YOU!"

"Oh for the love of Irk, can you two be anymore indecisive?" Skoodge complained, shaking his head.

Currently they were all cramped inside Skoodge and Tenn's Voot Cruiser, having been headed toward Planet Zeynxia for almost three weeks. Tak was due to deliver possibly by the start of next week, and they were almost about six days away.

Zim scoffed at Skoodge, rolling his eyes. "Geez, SOMEONE'S a bit moody today..."

"I'm sure you'd be moody too if you were cramped in a small space with a constantly moody pregnant Irken who complains every five seconds," Skoodge retorted bitterly.

"I'm as big as a volley ball and due to deliver at any day," Tak snapped. "Now_ shut the fuck up_ and _DRIVE FASTER_!"

"Can't we all be just a little bit... I dunno... Chill out?" Tenn asked around nervously, trying to be the voice of reason in the current stress-filled environment they were all in.

Tak and Skoodge said nothing, instead leaning back in their seat, mumbling angrily to themselves.

Suddenly, Zim snapped his fingers. "I got it!"

Beside him, Tak groaned, annoyed, "Got what, Zim...?"

"A GENIUS name," he explained quickly, grinning widely. "If you won't name our smeet after me, how about we flip my name backwards and call it 'Miz'?"

Tak rolled her eyes at first. "Zim, that's..." But then she paused, thinking a bit longer about the name. _Maybe... Maybe it could work._ "...That's not a bad idea, actually... For if we have a girl, we can name her Miz, and if it's a boy..." She thought for another moment, trying to recall a piece of long-dead Irken history she had heard about years before, where, when Irkens mated and had smeets naturally, the name of the smeet would be a combination of both of it's parents' names. After a minuet of silently combining her name and Zim's name together, her eyes widened and her own grin appeared over her features. "And if we have a boy, we can name him Zik."

"Hmm..." Zim too, thought for a moment. A daughter named Miz, and if a boy was born, a son named Zik. If they had a baby girl, her name could be Miz, his name backward, or if they had a baby boy, his name could be Zik... A combination of Zim's name and Tak's name. He replayed the two names in his head. _Miz, Zik. Miz, Zik. Miz,_ _Zik. Miz, Zik. Miz, Zik. Miz, Zik._ "You know... Those actually fit perfectly." He turned to Tak and smiled. "I like it."

In turn, Tak smiled back, taking his hand.

Skoodge noticed the two smiling at each other in the back and cringed. "Bleh! If you two decide to _get it on_ while Tenn and I are here, I will personally jump out of this Voot and commit suicide."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for taking so long to update, and I'm sorry for this being so short! But anyway, enjoy!**

**The next chapter will be them arriving at Zeynxia, and then the following chapter will be the arrival of the smeet. ;)**


	10. Birth

**X. Birth**

"HURRY THE FUCK UP!" Tak screeched, clutching at her rounded stomach, eyes shut, teeth clenched. "I WILL END YOUR LIFE!"

Zim took this threat to heart and forced himself to move faster, away from the Voot behind him.

"I'll park the Voot, Zim!" Skooge called out from the Voot, waving at him.

"I don't care!" Zim yelled back, quickening his pace as he raced toward the local hospital, carrying his pregnant mate bridal-style as he ran.

They literally just arrived on Zeynxia only a few minuets before when Tak's water broke. Right on time, really. Luckily Skoodge remembered where the local and nearest hospital was, and it was just right there, in plain sight; just up the street. The quicker Zim got Tak into a hospital bed, the safer he'd feel about his own well-being from the wrath she threatened to unleash soon if he didn't hurry.

The will to survive kept him going.

He crashed through the front doors, startling a few Zeynxians who were there, going about their own business along with a few stray Irkens who, like Skoodge and Tenn, like Zim and Tak as well, didn't want to follow Irk's strict and harsh rules. He stumbled to the front desk, startling the Zeynxian female behind it. Zeynxians were one of the strangest looking aliens that Zim had ever laid eyes on, and he had seen many types of strange beings in his lifetime. Zeynxians had milky white skin with similar antenna like Irkens had, only they were so long that they nearly touched the floor. With only two fingers instead of three like Irkens had. What was strange about Zeynxians was how similar, appearance-wise, they were to Irkens.

Tak gave another pained screech, causing Zim to cringe with pain. After all, she did scream right near his sensitive antenna. He panted a bit as he spoke quickly to the Zeynxian woman at the front desk, "Needroomnow! NEEDROOMNOW!"

The Zeynxian woman stared at him, frightened and confused. "You need what, s-sir?"

"NEEDROOMNOW!" Zim stuttered out, "WIFEGIVINGBIRTH! INLABOR! GOINGTOKILLME! LIFEONTHELINE!"

"Please sir," the woman begged, "Calm down and tell me what's wrong, slowly."

Panting, heart racing, Zim took a deep breath. "I need a room right now. My wife is in labor with our first child, and if I don't get her away from- I mean, in a room, I may very well lose my LIFE," he explained carefully. "Did you hear me? MY CRAZY WIFE IS GOING TO KILL ME." Desperate, Zim got down on his knees in front of the desk. The woman got up from her seat to peer over the edge of the front desk. "Please," he begged, bowing, "PLEASE give her a room NOW. I DON'T WANT TO DIE-"

"-Alight, alight!" the woman interrupted, leaning over to glance around the room. "I need a doctor over here!" she called out, spotting a male Zeynxian exiting an elevator on the first floor. Ironic timing. "Doctor Pheo!"

The Zeynxian male, Pheo, spotted her ushering for him, and immediately rushed over when he noticed Tak nearly writhing in pain in Zim's arms, screaming. He noticed Tak's rounded belly and his eyes widened. "Is this Irken female in labor?" He hadn't seen, in person, a pregnant Irken before in his life. He only heard of them. Because, obviously, Irkens reproduced by cloning. But the Irkens, who branched out away from the Irken Empire, usually settled down and reproduced naturally.

"Obviously," Zim snapped, irritated.

"I have never seen this before," Pheo breathed, staring at Tak's swollen stomach in awe.

"Yes, yes." Zim waved him off. "It's fascinating." He grabbed Pheo by the collar of his shirt, lifting him up off the ground. "GET HER A ROOM NOW!"

Pheo immediately nodded in a frantic manner. "Yes sir!" Zim dropped him to the floor, and Pheo stumbled, getting to his feet. "Right away, sir!"

* * *

><p>"I HATE YOU!" Tak screeched, to no one in particular. Well, perhaps to Zim, who stood in the corner of the room with wide eyes, watching his wife preparing to give birth on the hospital bed. "I HATE YOU ALL!" She let out another pained scream.<p>

Zim quietly made his way toward the door, his back pressed up against the wall as he slowly made his way toward the door.

Unfortunately, in her agony, Tak noticed Zim out of the corner of her eye. Despite the pain medication the doctors gave her, it felt like she was being torn apart from the inside out. "Zim..." she whimpered, reaching a hand out toward him.

Zim froze, watching Tak staring back at him with tear-filled eyes. The pain was unbearable, and Zim could see it reflected in her lavender eyes.

"Stay with me," she begged, her hand still out reached toward him. "Please."

He didn't hesitate like he thought he would have. He immediately came to her aid, standing beside her bed. He reached for her hand and grabbed it, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Always," he promised, nodding once.

Tak smiled weakly at him, before another rush of pain swept over her, and she screamed at once.

"Tak," Doctor Pheo began, standing in front of Tak's legs at the foot of the bed, ready to deliver, "Can you hear me?"

"Barely," Tak said through gritted teeth. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Her hold on Zim's hand tightened.

"Get ready to push," he instructed, "Can you do that?"

"I can surely try," Tak snarled, irritated. "Asshole."

Her insult didn't phase him. "Get ready," he reminded her.

Immediately, as though the baby could understand their words, a new wave of contractions began. Much worse than before. It was time.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she put great force into getting that baby out of her. She wanted the pain to just end.

"Push, Tak!" Pheo urged. "Keep pushing!"

"I'M TRYING, DICKHEAD!" she screeched, clutching Zim's hand tighter than ever before as she pushed. "DON'T FUCKING TELL ME SHIT I ALREADY KNOW! MOTHER FUCKER I'M GONNA RIP YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!"

Zim felt as though his wrist would suddenly snap by the force of Tak's grip. To add to the list, his hearing felt like it would be shot soon if she continued screaming bloody murder.

Which, she did.

"Keep pushing," Pheo repeated, taking a look to see the progress. "I can see the head!"

_It's almost over,_ Zim and Tak thought in unison. _Almost over._

A few agonizing minuets went by that seemed like an eternity to both Zim and Tak, when suddenly, they finally heard it. A baby's cry. _Their_ smeet's first cry.

Pheo smiled as he pulled the smeet out of Tak completely. Exhausted, Tak's head collapsed on the pillow, the only sound audible being the sound of her smeet's crying. It was such a sweet sound to her. She smiled weakly, breathing heavily.

As Pheo cut the umbilical cord, Zim leaned over from his spot beside Tak's bedside, getting a glimpse of his new child, just as Pheo held the tiny, green figure up. "It's a boy," Pheo said, smiling at the new father.

_A son._ The little smeet's eyes stayed shut as he cried, covered in an unfamiliar goop. The smeet's antenna twitched constantly, getting used to the knew sounds he was hearing. _I have a son._

Stunned, relieved and overall ecstatic, Zim took a gingerly step forward to see his new son, to hold him in his arms for the first time. It was his goal to hold him now, his child. His smeet. His _son..._

...When suddenly, Pheo turned and handed the baby boy to the Zeynxian nurse standing by, who walked out of the room. With Zim's son. Without saying a word as to why she was taking his son away.

Confused and startled, Zim raced after the nurse immediately. "Where are you taking my son?" he demanded, just about to reach the door when Pheo came and held him back. For a split, horrifying second, he thought that he and Tak were placed in a trap, that these Zeynxians just took away their son to experiment on him, or maybe they were secretly working for the Tallest who wanted the smeet executed immediately. Dozens of frightening possibilities raced through Zim's mind as he struggled in Pheo's grasp, desperate to get to his newborn son.

"It's okay," Pheo reassured him. "You'll get to see him soon. I promise."

Somehow, Zim trusted Pheo's words. He stared at the door with wide eyes. "W-what's wrong with him?" Panic suddenly surged through him. His first fatherly instinct. "Is he okay?"

"He needs to have a Pak put in," Pheo explained.

"What?" Zim was stunned and utterly confused. "Why?"

"Well, you see, for hundreds of years, Irkens have been reproduced by cloning machines, with a Pak placed on their spines."

"I already know that!" Still, Zim grew anxious. "Where are you going with this?"

"Well, the nutrients and computer information of the Pak have caused Irkens over the years to biologically and evolutionarily adapt to the change. So Irkens, even reproduced naturally, could die without a Pak."

Was that all? Zim calmed down a bit, taking in this new piece of information. But he still couldn't help but worry. "He'll be okay, right?"

Pheo nodded, placing his hand on Zim's shoulder. "He'll be fine."

There was a pause. "Don't touch me."

Pheo complied quickly, retracting his hand from Zim's shoulder.

Suddenly, a moan of pain from Tak made the two turn around to face her. She was sitting up again, her face contorted with pain. "Guys... I don't think we're done yet."

Pheo's eyes widened while Zim stared at Tak, not fully understanding what she meant. "What do you mean?"

Instead of an answer, Tak erupted into full-on screaming again, just like before.

"I think there's another one coming," Pheo answered for her, immediately rushing over to help.

Zim only stood there, realizing what Pheo had just said. Remembering his crying son being lead out of the room, his fear and his panic. He was already a father now. Pheo's words hit him hard as he stood there in shock.

_I'm having twins?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I am SO sorry I haven't updated! I kinda moved on to another fandom, but I kinda got back to Zim recently, so no worries! I added the first birth now just because all of you, my faithful readers, deserve it. :) Hence why I skipped ahead to Skoodge, Tenn, Tak and Zim arriving at Zeynxia, just as Tak's water breaks and starts having contractions. You've all waited for the birth, so here it is! And another one will be on the way in the next chapter. ;)**

**I hope you enjoy this and I hope this makes up for my negligence. Please review!**

**And just FYI, I will ALWAYS love ZATR!**


	11. Twins

**XI. Twins**

Another agonizing half-an-hour of pushing, screaming and raging had paid off, as a second smeet slid out completely from Tak. The new mother collapsed once more onto her pillow, more exhausted than before. Her throat felt dry and hoarse from screaming. She closed her eyes for the time being, falling asleep.

Another smeet's cry yet again erupted throughout the hospital room.

Like before, Zim peered over from his spot beside Tak's bed to get a better look at his second child.

Pheo, after cutting yet another umbilical cord, held up another small green figure covered in the same goop that the first smeet was covered in. "It's a girl," he told him, smiling down at the small, crying girl in his arms.

The smeet's curled antenna also twitched constantly, but unlike her twin brother, this smeet's eyes opened immediately, blinking in confusion at her unfamiliar surroundings.

Zim noticed his newborn daughter's eyes open, revealing a familiar pair of big magenta eyes, just like his own. He stepped forward quickly enough, -unlike his first hesitant step forward when his first smeet was born-, just as Pheo was about to turn to hand the crying girl off to another Zeynxian nurse standing by.

Zim wouldn't let another one go again, not like before.

"Wait!"

Pheo turned, seeing Zim reaching for the small bundle in his arms. His eyes were locked on the small crying smeet. "Can I at least hold her?" he asked, almost pleadingly.

Pheo hesitated, understandably so, knowing that the smeet needed a Pak immediately, only having a short amount of time before it was to late. He was about to say _'no'_ and hand the smeet off, but seeing the look in Zim's eyes, the desperation to see his child, Pheo couldn't help but comply in pity. "Alright," he sighed, carefully handing the smeet to the new father. "But I'll have to take her back in a minute."

Zim didn't answer him, but instead held his newborn daughter close with shaky arms. The second her eyes met his, her crying came to a halt as she stared up at her father with wide eyes. Was this one of the voices she had heard while inside her mother's womb? The one who constantly screamed madly? The one with the maniacal laugh? Even in her confused state, the smeet felt safe in Zim's arms.

He stared down at her in awe, feeling an odd yet familiar warmth in his heart. Just like with his son, Zim felt an immediate connection toward his daughter the second he laid eyes on her. He knew then he had to protect both of his new children. Nurture them while they grew. Get them ready for whatever the future may hold for them both.

Knowing he had a short amount of time with her, Zim smiled down at the smeet. "Hey there," he whispered, cradling her. "I was wondering when you would come out."

The smeet did know that voice. In response, she reached a small hand up toward Zim, cooing happily. His heart warmed at the sound. He felt his eyes well up, but quickly blinked them back. This was a new feeling for him. He was a father now, and as he stared into his daughter's eyes, all the hesitation and fear he felt before diminished, fading away from existence. He was ready to take on the job as a father, head on.

He noticed something familar within his daughter's big, magenta eyes. He knew first-hand what it was, yet he couldn't exactly pin-point out loud, in words, what exactly it was he saw in her eyes. "You're going to be a warrior," he stated, as the smeet in his arms continued to stare up at him with wide eyes. Eyes filled with hope for a future filled with possibilities. "I just know it."

After a few tender moments between father and child, Pheo reached for the smeet. "It's time," he said quietly.

Zim wasn't ready to let go, but he knew he had to, otherwise his daughter would die. His chest swelled up in sadness as he handed his baby daughter to Pheo. The smeet immediately began wailing again, knowing she was no longer in the protective arms of her father. Sighing sadly, Pheo handed the crying smeet to the other nurse standing by.

All Zim could do, was watch with a heavy heart as his wailing daughter was lead out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Tak?"<p>

Tak moaned, blinking her tired eyes rapidly to bring herself out of sleep. Words could not describe just how exhausted she was. She had a pounding headache, her muscles felt sore... Her legs especially felt like jelly.

"Tak?" The voice repeated.

She turned her head slowly, seeing Zim standing beside her, staring at her with equally tired eyes. "Zim..." She smiled at him weakly. Her memory was fuzzy. "What are you...?" Her hands moved down to her stomach, and found it was no longer rounded or full. She suddenly felt hollow inside. Her smeet was gone. _Smeets,_ she remembered. "W-where are they?" Tak asked frantically, "Where are our smeets?" She sat up immediately, her eyes scanning the hospital room quickly.

Zim held her back from completely throwing herself out of bed, knowing she was still weak from the births. "Relax," he said quietly, "They're going to be okay." _I hope._

That wasn't enough information to relax the new mother. Tak struggled to get out of bed to look for her smeets. "I want to see them!" she protested.

"They're being operated on," Zim explained carefully.

Tak was horrified. "W-what? Why? What's wrong with them?" She was ready to go into hysterics, and she couldn't help it. The fear she felt, feeling the hollowness in her stomach and not knowing where her smeets where or what was wrong with them, nearly drove her mad.

"They need to have a Pak," he explained, rubbing her shoulder to calm her down. "That's all."

"Why do they need a Pak?" Tak asked, puzzled. "They weren't cloned."

"That's exactly what I said," Zim replied, sighing. "But the doctor said that Irkens have biologically and evolutionarily adapted to the information and nutrients that the Pak offers to the Irken body. So... even naturally-born smeets could die without a Pak because the genes from the both of us have the code for the Pak, and it passed down to our smeets." Zim removed his hand, tightening both his hands into fists.

Tak noticed him tense. "What's wrong?"

"You'd never believe what I felt when they took our son away," he whispered, "I thought they were going to kill him, or send him to Irk... or... or something awful." He couldn't find the words, for the anger and sorrow he felt blinded him. "And when they took our daughter away... He closed his eyes. "... all I could do was watch her being lead away... She's so young, she had no idea what was happening. But all she knew was that I was no longer there, that she was being taken from me... And I swear Tak, I've never felt that much..." he tried to find the right word. "...pain. It felt like my heart was ripped from my chest and stepped on just hearing her screaming, not knowing where I was. Hearing her fear."

Tak felt sympathy for Zim, she did, but she couldn't help but smile weakly. "We have a son and a daughter?" She hadn't heard anything after her head hit the pillow. All she knew was that she heard two separate smeets crying.

Zim nodded, calming down. He just wanted that memory gone. "They're perfect," he said quietly. "Our daughter had my eyes, so I'm guessing our son has your eyes."

"You didn't see his eyes?"

He shook his head. "They were closed." He smiled suddenly. "You should have seen it."

"Seen what?"

"In her eyes..." Zim paused. "... She's going to be a strong warrior one day."

The conversation ended there. They sat in silence for a long time, waiting to hear news about their newborns. Their hearts were equally racing, growing anxious with each passing second, minute, and hour.

The minutes blended into hours, long, drawn out hours as they waited, unknowingly dreading the worst. They never heard of a smeet dying from an accident caused while they were getting a Pak installed into them. But this was different. These were naturally-born smeets being installed with a Pak. Doctor Pheo could have been dead wrong on his analysis. Something could have gone wrong. But if something did go wrong, wouldn't they have heard about it by now? They took solace in that one thought.

When the door finally opened, Zim and Tak nearly jumped, startled by the sudden sound and action, having been preoccupied with their frightening thoughts. Doctor Pheo walked fully into the room, staring at the new parents with an expression that neither Irken could read clearly. They leaned in, waiting anxiously for him to speak.

They both breathed a sigh of extreme relief when Pheo finally smiled at them. "There are two little ones that are waiting anxiously to see you. Would you like to see them?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Second birth! It's a boy... AND a girl! :)**

**Poor Zim, though. :( That would hurt me too if I had to watch my child being lead away, screaming because they don't know where I am. And poor Tak, too! That must be terrifying not knowing where your child is. They especially didn't know that even naturally-born smeets can't survive without a Pak.**

**I edited this and made it longer for all of you, as a sign of thanks, because I love you all! Your reviews are so kind and helpful! I'm amazed by how many people love this story! You guys are amazing!**

******On a **side note, my birthday i**s on **sunday. :D I'll be 17. I feel nearly adult already. XD Next **school year I'll try to get my first job. I want to work at the Apple **store and my mom know**s the manager there becau**se they work at the **same mall, **so... **she'll hook me up. XD **************************

**Oh, and I have an idea for an AU ZATR Invader Zim/Hunger Games fanfic that I might write soon that is totally and completely AU and not connected to IZ or all of my IZ stories.**

**So here's the idea: Every year, one Irken and/or SIR unit in sixteen of Irk's Defective Prisons is chosen at random to compete in a Tournament. Not a game like the Hunger Games where all the tributes are thrown into the arena, but two are chosen to fight in a small arena, and whoever wins that round moves on to the next round. This continues until the top two are pitted against each other in an all-out battle.**

**Where Zim plays into this story: He and Gir are living in one of the Defective Prisons. Gir is essentially like a little brother to Zim, and is still the same, wacky, cute and lovable Gir we all know and love. And at the choosing, Gir is chosen to compete, but Zim takes his place instead. I know, that matches Katniss volunteering for Prim, but that'll be the only BIG similarity. Where Tak fits into all this, is that she lived in the same prison that Zim and Gir live in, and she won the Tournament the year before and becomes Zim's mentor. Again, this is AU, so Zim never ruined Tak's mission or ruined her chances of being am Invader: They're both defects in this story. I didn't want it to be the star-crossed lovers scenario like with Peeta and Katniss, so instead it's just Zim competing in the tournament, and Tak is his mentor. That's it, that's all. XD**

**There are sixteen contenders in all, each representing one of each of the sixteen Prisons. There are four rounds in all. The winner of each round is pitted against the winner of the other round about four times. Fours rounds in all. Oh, and I'll be needing fifteen OCs from anyone who has one and wants one to compete. Just be warned, you're character will die. We all know how the story ends. XD But still, I'll post the rules separately and have anyone post info/bio about their OC. They have to be either an Irken or a SIR unit. You only get to choose one of your OCs, and there'll be only fifteen spots available. Yeah, please don't be mad when your character dies. I warned you all ahead of time.**

**IMPORTANT: If you have a character for the story, wait for me to upload the rules for the story and review with your character's name/bio/info there!**

**Here's the overview plot summary that you'll find when the story is uploaded: _For the last five years, all 16 of Irk's Defective Prisons offer up one Irken or SIR unit to compete in the Defective Tournament, a fight to the death. Zim was always prepared if he were chosen to compete, but he was never prepared when his only friend is chosen._**

**I have written the first chapter, but I want to hear your option about the idea, if you like it, or what should I add to the plot. Let me know your ideas! :)**

**Please review! I'd appreciate it!**


	12. Extra Surprise

**XII. Extra Surprise**

Pheo left the room once more to go and obtain the two new born smeets, leaving the new parents to once again play a seemingly long lasting waiting game.

This time however Zim and Tak didn't have to wait and worry. They sat there in silence for ten seemingly long minutes, hearts thumping in anticipation rather than panic. Though Zim had already seen his son and held his daughter, he just couldn't wait to see his smeets again, to finally have them with him where he could watch and protect them without having to worry.

Tak hadn't seen her smeets at all yet; having been so exhausted from both births that she couldn't even lift her head. Her heart pounded in her chest with excitement, desperate to finally meet and see her smeets for the first time, to have the two tiny living beings that had been inside her for the past three months finally within her arms. She felt that when that moment came she would truly be a mother.

Finally the door re-opened, Zim and Tak holding their breaths as Pheo re-entered, holding both smeets in his arms. Tak caught her first glimpse of the little boy and girl, both wide awake, confused and curious, and for a moment, she nearly forgot that those two little beings had been inside her. She noticed her son's purple eyes that matched her own, and noticed her daughter's eyes that so perfectly matched Zim's magenta eyes.

The two names she and her mate had decided on a few weeks earlier resonated silently within her mind, repeating over and over.

Pheo smiled as he walked over toward the new parents. "The procedure went extremely well," he told them.

"I figured that," Zim scoffed impatiently, reaching for his smeets. "Can I...?"

"Why else do you think I'm here?" Pheo handed Zim his new born son, seeing as how he barely got to even see him after he was born. Zim took the small bundle in his arms carefully, sitting back down in his seat beside Tak's bed.

Pheo turned toward Tak, who too held her arms out toward the second bundle in Pheo's arms. He smiled as he handed the baby girl carefully to her new mother. "She was a feisty one."

Tak carefully took the small bundle in her arms as well, staring down at the magenta eyes of her new daughter, which were wide with curiosity.

"H-Hi there," Tak said quietly, biting her trembling lip momentarily to keep from choking on her words, a soft, wonderful feeling fluttering inside her chest that made her eyes sting and nearly brim. But she tried as hard as she could to keep the tears back. Years of holding all emotion back so easily suddenly seemed so difficult. "I'm guessing you were the one kicking inside me the most, huh?"

Her daughter only blinked, confused by the words spoken by the oh-so familiar voice.

Tak glanced over at Zim, seeing him holding their tiny son, smiling down at him. The baby boy was also staring up with confused yet curious eyes.

The tears Tak had been desperately blinking back welled up in her eyes again as she glanced back at the baby girl in her arms. Suddenly her purpose in life made sense. She wasn't meant to be an Invader, and neither was Zim. Sure it was Zim's fault, but she had forgiven him long ago when they both realized how cruel and dishonest their Tallest were. It was all meant to be, she realized, smiling tearfully at her new daughter. This was both their purpose in life, to produce two healthy smeets, away from the cold eyes of their old Empire, which shunned any and every form of love and union.

"You're so precious," she said quietly, bursting into tears as she kissed the smeet's forehead. "Both of you are." She glanced back up at Zim, who in turn was busy bonding with their son. "Zim?"

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you."

Confused, Zim glanced up at his mate. "For what?"

"For them," she stated, motioning toward both their smeets. "If you hadn't caused that blackout on Devastis... None of this would have happened."

Zim couldn't help but give a small smile. "So... It was all worth it? Everything?"

With the hot tears streaming down her cheeks, she smiled back, nodding once. "It was all worth it. Everything."

* * *

><p>An hour went by before Skoodge and Tenn finally burst into the room.<p>

"We made it!" Skoodge called out, triumphantly. "Finally! It took us an hour to find parking, and then Tenn had to go to the bathroom which took an extra hour for some reason, and-" he paused when he noticed Zim sitting beside Tak's bed, with a bundle in his arms, and Tak holding another bundle in her arms. Skoodge's eyes widened. "What did we miss?"

Tenn came up beside her mate, her eyes equally bulging out in surprise as well. "Holy biscuits, are those TWO smeets?"

"A boy and a girl," Tak answered simply, her finger stroking her son's cheek. She and Zim had traded off smeets, Zim now holding their daughter while Tak held their son.

Tenn immediately came running up beside Zim and Tak, catching a close up glimpse of the two smeets wrapped up in blankets. She gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "They're so precious!" she squealed, leaning closer to get a better look. Seeing the baby boy as a striking resemblance to Tak, and the baby girl as a striking resemblance to Zim, Tenn couldn't help but burst into tears. As Skoodge came up beside Tenn, she turned and immediately threw herself into his arms.

"We are going to have a smeet!" she stated, tightening her hold on her mate.

Skoodge only stared out into space by what Tenn had just said. "Uh... O-okay..."

Zim chuckled at his friend's reaction. "You better get used to it."

"I just hope I get a head's up before it happens," Skoodge responded, still a bit shocked.

After a few moments, Tenn finally let go of her mate, turning her attention back toward the two smeets.

Despite having been shocked by Tenn's comment, Skoodge couldn't help but smile at the two smeets. "They are really cute. Did you name them yet?"

"Well, we named our son Zik," Tak replied, motioning toward the bundle in her arms. "And we named our daughter Miz."

Skoodge's eyes suddenly widened. "Wait a second- Those were the names you guys picked one the way here!"

"Duh." Zim rolled his eyes. "Wow, you're quick to realize."

Instead of being offended, Skoodge smirked. "Looks like someone's paternal instincts are kicking in."

"Shut up."

After a moment of having her eyes locked on the two little smeets, Tenn grinned widely. "I have something to tell you all..." she turned toward Skoodge, taking his hand. "Remember my reaction a few minutes ago?"

"How could I forget? It was literally a few minutes ago."

"Well..." Tenn bit her lip. "I meant it."

"Meant what?"

Still smiling, Tenn placed Skoodge's hand over her belly. "You can't feel anything yet, but... There's a smeet in there."

Skoodge's eyes widened.

... At the same time, Zim's jaw dropped while Tak's eyes popped open. "WHAT?" They whispered rather loudly in unison.

"How on Irk is that possible?" Tak asked, "We were in that Voot for two months and you're not even showing!"

"Well..." Tenn blushed. "...a few weeks ago, while you guys were sleeping in the back..."

Zim groaned, closing his eyes. "Nooooo... You guys didn't. Did you?"

Despite his shock, Skoodge couldn't help the blush that tinted his cheeks. "Y-yeah..." he said quietly, "...we did..."

"You both are REALLY heavy sleepers-" Tenn stated, but was interrupted by Tak to be saved from any further details.

"-Okay, okay!" Tak nodded frantically. "We get it. But how did you find out? Better yet WHEN did you find out?"

"An hour ago."

Skoodge's eyes widened even further, nearly popping out of his skull. "Wait, so you didn't go to the bathroom?

Tenn shook her head. "I went to see a doctor about it, and he confirmed it. After Skoodge and I... did it... I started feeling weird. But I didn't think anything of it until we got here and decided to check, because I remembered when you guys told us that mating causes reproduction, so... I added two and two together and it all clicked."

"How far along are you?" Tak asked.

"A week," Tenn answered. "The doctor said I won't feel any kicking until the second or third week."

"Because Irken smeets develop quicker than any other alien offspring." Tak nodded, almost reminiscent now when she glanced down at her now sleeping son in her arms and her now sleeping daughter in Zim's arms. "These two started kicking after a week, so I'm surprised you haven't felt anything yet."

"I've felt something move around," Tenn explained, placing her hand over her belly. "But it hasn't kicked yet."

Skoodge's hand stayed locked over Tenn's belly, when suddenly he felt something move. Something moved, he realized. He felt it under his hand. Shocked, he glanced up at Tenn. "Something moved," he stated, eyes wide.

Smiling, Tenn glanced over at Zim and Tak. "Looks like we're next!"

In response, Skoodge promptly fainted.

The three adult Irkens stared at Skoodge's limp form lying on the floor.

Calmly, Tak turned her head toward Zim, smirking. "Hmmm... I wonder who that reminds me of."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yup, I added a bit of extra extra Skoodge/Tenn goodness. Yes, they will be having a smeet as well. :) I got the inspiration for the bonus surprise by watching "pregnancy reactions" and "baby gender reveal parties" videos on YouTube. It's great inspiration. XD**

**So yup: the big yet really obvious reveal:**

**The smeets names are Zik and Miz. Zik is the little boy and Miz is the little girl. Finally all of you know now! Finally.**

**If you want: take a gue**s******s as to what the gender of Skoodge and Tenn's smeet will be, and if so, how many smeets will they be expecting? ;)**

**I can't wait to have my own baby! I just love the idea and I honestly cannot wait. Hence the inspiration for this entire story is based on what I hope will be one day for myself. :')**

**Btw, if anyone want**s to u**se Zik and Miz in their story or write a one-**shot u**sing them, be my gue**st! Ju**st credit me if you do. :) I give you full permi**s****sion to write a one-**shot about them if you feel like it. ******************

**Anyway, please review! I apologize for my lateness on updating!**


	13. Gender Reveal

**XIII. Gender Reveal**

"...We're gonna have to stay here for an extra month," Zim explained to the face of his human friend on the monitor before him. "Is that okay?"

"Nooooo," Dib groaned, slamming his head down. "That's not okay! It's just me all by myself here! Gaz left, Gir is destroying EVERYTHING, and-"

"-Well, see you in a few months!" Zim ignored Dib's dilemma, giving him a wave goodbye before shutting off the hospital room's communicator, which he was lucky enough to get a hold of Dib back on Earth back at the base, where Dib was staying to help take care of Gir and Mimi...

Well, mainly Gir, anyway...

* * *

><p>"...I'm praying for it to be a girl..."<p>

"...And I'm praying for it to be a boy just to see your reaction," Zim joked, putting the last of his two smeets in their beds, which were side by side next to Tak's hospital bed. They had no rush to get home right away yet, so Zim and Tak decided to stay on Zeynxia for an extra month before heading out. The hospital offered a free extra two weeks for staying a month, and already those two weeks had passed. They were ready to head back to Earth in two days, and already they would be stuck in their Voot for an extra two months.

"How come you don't want a boy, Skoodge?" Tak asked, titling her head slightly from her spot on the bed.

Skoodge shrugged. "I find myself more suitable as the father of a little girl than a little boy. Don't ask why, that's just how I see it." He buried his face in his hands. "I still can't believe I'm having a smeet! I don't think I'm ready for this... I know if I have a son he'll start out early on wanting to be a warrior, and I'd rather deal with a little girl looking up at me for protection than a little boy wanting to be what I ended up not being."

"You conquered Blorch!" Tak reminded him, "I don't see why you doubt yourself, Skoodge. You'll be fine."

"And it looks like we're about to find out what the gender is now!" Zim stated, rubbing his hands with glee as he watched Tenn walk into the room, holding a white cake decorated with blue and pink icing.

Skoodge watched as Tenn placed the cake on the table in the corner. He quickly came up behind her, staring at the cake in confusion. "Ummm... What's the cake for? Didn't you find out the gender already?"

Already at two months, Tenn's belly was fully rounded, but even Tak and Zim noticed that her belly wasn't as big as Tak's had been, which Skoodge hoped meant that Tenn wasn't pregnant with two or more smeets. "Yep, I found out." There was a hint of excitement in her tone, which Skoodge caught, his anticipation spiking higher than before.

"Then what's the cake for?"

Zim too came up beside the expecting couple, staring at the cake in awe. "Oh man... That cake looks sooooo good." He glanced over at Tenn. "We get to eat this cake, right?"

"No, she's just going to throw it out the window," Tak retorted sarcastically. "Of course we're going to eat it! Why else would she bring a cake?" There was a pause. "Yeah, Tenn... Why did you bring a cake?"

Tenn grinned as she handed Skoodge a knife, which he was a bit baffled by. "Because! After I found out the gender of the smeet, I wanted to have a fun way to reveal the gender to all of you before you and Zim leave for Earth."

"And I'm holding a knife for what reason?" Skoodge asked, confused.

"Because you're going to cut the cake!"

"I know that, but what's that got to do with our smeets gender?"

"Inside the cake will either be pink or blue filling," Tenn explained, clapping her hands in excitement. "Pink for a girl, or blue for a boy. Whichever color it is will reveal if we're having a little girl or a little boy."

"I'm still betting it's a boy," Zim announced, leaning back against the wall beside the table, as he watched Skoodge prepare, with hesitation, to cut the cake.

"O-oh boy..." he said shakily, as the knife in his hand carefully cut into the cake.

"It could be a girl." Tak shrugged.

"Nah, it's going to be a boy," Zim repeated, chucking as he watched closely.

Not seeing any blue or pink frosting yet, Skoodge took a deep breath as he slid the knife back out, before making another cut next to the first one, making a perfect triangle. Once he was sure the piece was free and removable, he slid the knife back out, placing it on the table. He brought his shaky hands up, grabbing the removable piece of cake, gently, slowly pulling it out...

Zim leaned forward, while Tak held her breath.

"...It's a..."

Skoodge gaped at the blue filling inside the cake, stunned and in awe.

"...BOY!"

Zim grinned widely, throwing his hands in the air in triumph. "YES! I KNEW IT!" He glanced over at Skoodge, and upon seeing Skoodge's stunned expression, he burst out laughing. "HAHAHAHA, I TOLD YOU! HAHAHA!"

Even Tak couldn't contain her laughter, covering her mouth to keep from laughing to loud so her smeets could sleep. Though shockingly, despite Zim's loud and obnoxious laughter, the two smeets in their hospital cribs were sound asleep, and Tak had a feeling it was because they were quite used to their father's insane laughter from when they were inside her womb.

Tenn smiled, throwing her arms around Skoodge, who only stood there wide-eyed. "We're having a little boy!"

By this point Zim was doubled over with laughter, while Tenn couldn't help but beam with happiness. Though most mothers would want a daughter, she was excited to have a son, though she was oblivious to Skoodge's shock and slight disappointment.

But after a moment of staring at the blue filling from within the cake, he was able to come to terms with the gender of his future child. Boy or girl, it didn't matter to him.

Not anymore, anyway.

It took a few minutes went by before Zim finally calmed down, and when he did, he let out a breath. "Oh man... That was hilarious." However, he stood up straight and came up to Skoodge. "Having a son won't be all that bad. I should know: I have one now." Zim turned his head to get a good look at the two cribs over by Tak's hospital bed. "Well, I've got the best of both worlds, really. But in all seriousness, which I know isn't what I usually say or do: It's all good!"

"I know."

"...And believe me, I-" Zim paused. "Wait, what?"

"I know."

"You know? Weren't you just freaked out a second ago?"

"Yeah, I was," Skoodge answered, putting his arm around Tenn. "But not anymore." He gave his mate a peck on the cheek...

...Which Zim noticed. "Awwww... That's so sweet I might need to vomit now from it's sickly, disgusting sweetness."

Which, in turn, resulted in a slap to the back of the head by Tak.

"OW!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well... It's almost near the end. I'm just trying to make it as long as possible by adding random stuff in. Like more Skoodge/Tenn stuff. They're having a boy! :) I've been watching way to many "Gender reveal party" videos on YouTube. When I become pregnant, I'm definitely going to have a gender reveal cake. :D**

**Anyway, I'm not sure how many more chapters I'll do, because, like I said, I'm almost near the end. Any have any ideas for a chapter and/or ending, feel free to let me know in your review!**

**...Speaking of which: PLEASE review!**

**And thank you again, all my loyal readers, for the 150 reviews! I'm really overjoyed that so many people like this story! :)**


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